Submit a comment
A 45-year-old man died from botulinum poisoning, unable to use the antidote Botulism Antitoxin Heptavalent (BAT) provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) as emergency aid to Vietnam.
On May 25, Gia Dinh People's Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City) announced that after more than a week of treatment, a 45-year-old man who died from botulinum poisoning, unable to use the antidote Botulism Antitoxin Heptavalent (BAT) provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) as emergency aid to Vietnam, arrived in Ho Chi Minh City last night, May 24.
Previously, this patient was hospitalized at Gia Dinh People's Hospital in a critical state of botulinum poisoning after eating a fish sauce dish that had been left for a long time.
While being treated at the Department of Neurology in a state of paralysis, mechanical ventilation, and antibiotic treatment, this patient developed serious complications and had to be transferred to the Department of Intensive Care and Anti-Poisoning (ICU). Although doctors continuously consulted with experts at Cho Ray Hospital and made efforts to treat him, the patient gradually suffered from multiple organ failure, cardiac arrest, and died.
Botulism Antitoxin Heptavalent (BAT) is very expensive and requires strict storage conditions.
At the time of the patient's death, the BAT antidote provided by WHO for the patient had arrived in Ho Chi Minh City. However, according to doctors, the patient had already exceeded the time limit for taking the antidote.
Also on the morning of May 25, Dr. Le Quoc Hung, Head of the Department of Tropical Diseases, Cho Ray Hospital, said that the hospital has been distributed vials of botulinum antitoxin donated by WHO to Vietnam. However, two patients aged 18 and 26 (brothers) being treated at Cho Ray Hospital will not be prescribed the drug because their actual health conditions no longer allow it. Currently, the patients have complete muscle paralysis and are being nourished, ventilated, and receiving intensive care.
It is known that the BAT antidote provided by WHO was distributed to 3 hospitals. Cho Ray Hospital, where 2 cases of botulinum poisoning requiring ventilators are being treated, received 2 vials; Gia Dinh People's Hospital received 1 vial, and Children's Hospital 2 received 3 vials.
One of three newly discovered cases of botulinum poisoning is being treated at Cho Ray Hospital.
Ho Chi Minh City has discovered 6 cases of botulinum poisoning due to eating ham sandwiches and fish sauce. Of these, 3 young patients were previously treated with BAT antidote and their health has improved, while the patients discovered later (including two brothers, 18 and 26 years old, who ate ham sandwiches from a street vendor. The remaining person who died was a 45-year-old man who ate a type of fish sauce that had been stored for a long time) are in critical condition and are on a ventilator due to running out of antidote.
Dr. Le Quoc Hung, Head of the Department of Tropical Diseases at Cho Ray Hospital, said that botulinum toxin has seven types: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. There are currently three types of antidotes in the world. Two types are effective against certain types, while BAT can detoxify all seven types.
BAT antidote will help neutralize remaining botulinum toxin in the blood, preventing it from attacking the nervous system and reducing the severity of symptoms.
In case of botulinum poisoning, if BAT is used early, within 48 to 72 hours the patient can escape from paralysis and will not need a ventilator...
Dr. Le Quoc Hung - Head of Tropical Diseases Department, Cho Ray Hospital.
But in the absence of an antidote for BAT, doctors can only provide supportive treatment, mainly nutrition and mechanical ventilation. Mechanical ventilation will be prolonged and has many dangerous complications. In this disease, botulinum toxin damages the nervous system, leading to muscle paralysis.
Currently, Botulism Antitoxin Heptavalent (BAT) is very expensive, costing about 6,300 USD/bottle. Storage conditions for the drug are very difficult as it must be stored at deep freezes at temperatures from -77 degrees Celsius to -17 degrees Celsius.
According to Dr. Le Quoc Hung, the cause of this disease is the anaerobic bacteria botulinum. All types of processed, packaged, canned, and sealed foods without oxygen can cause this type of bacteria to grow... Thus, the possibility of poisoning from this type of bacteria is always lurking.
Therefore, in the stages of processing and preserving food, we need to ensure that it is clean and should not be sealed without good techniques to avoid contamination with this type of bacteria. In addition, we should not eat or use expired, spoiled, or leaky foods...
According to CAND
